In a conventional MFP apparatus which handles image data in a plurality of data formats, an image data input unit such as scanning, FAX reception, network reception, and the like encodes/decodes page data input from an input interface to that in a data format (encoding format) unique to the apparatus, and stores the page data in the apparatus as storage data.
Also, an image data output unit such as recording, FAX transmission, network transmission, and the like converts the storage data stored in the data format unique to the apparatus into a required data format, and outputs the converted data to an output interface. As described above, page data in different data formats (encoding formats), which are generated by the input and output units and are used, are independently managed.
FIG. 1 shows the structure of page management records in such conventional MFP apparatus. That is, an image (Raw data) scanned by an image reader (scanner) is encoded to JBIG as an encoding format unique to the MFP apparatus, and is stored in a memory as JBIG data. Upon using this JBIG data, it is converted into a data format (encoding format) required for a function to be used (e.g., a FAX transmission function), and the converted data is used. Therefore, the conventional MFP apparatus manages data to be handled in a single encoding format like, e.g., JBIG. As shown in FIG. 1, page management records 10a, 10b, . . . respectively manage only JBIG page data 20a, 20b . . . . Note that JBIG data is stored in a memory managed by the JBIG page data.
However, the conventional MFP apparatus manages and stores data in a common data format (JBIG format). When raw data is input and is immediately output (copied), raw data→JBIG conversion is purposely made, and a storage process is then executed. After that, since JBIG data→raw data re-conversion is made, a time loss for the storage process is produced, resulting in a low output speed.
In the conventional MFP apparatus, for example, when the first page is JBIG data, the second page is TXT data, and the third page is TIFF data in a single document, each page management record can only have page data in a specific data format unique to the apparatus, and cannot manage each page in an original encoding format. Hence, the image data output unit cannot use page data until the image data input unit completes encoding/decoding to storage data and generates page data, thus requiring a long processing time from input to output of image data.
If the conventional MFP apparatus supports and manages data in various different data formats (encoding formats), it must generate page data in different data formats (encoding formats) and must manage them independently although they form a single document, as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C. That is, when the image data output unit (recording, FAX transmission, network transmission) that requires data format conversion must have page management records for page data conversion and page data themselves, and management is made in this way, the memory use size increases, resulting in high apparatus cost.
The present invention has been made to solve the aforementioned problems, and has as its object to provide a data process apparatus which can implement an encoding process which efficiently supports respective image processing functions while minimizing the memory use size in the apparatus.